A Scorpio And A Taurus
by DadoCat13
Summary: AU Crossover, clearly. This story begins during an alternate ending of "Zuko Alone", and includes RWBY character Adam Taurus. Adam is a firebender, but not like any that most would know and a certain princess is a fan of this. What will happen when the two of them cross paths? Well the best way to find out is to just enjoy the ride and read along.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: So just a quick note, this takes place following an alternate ending to the episode "Zuko Alone". The earthbenders that Zuko defeated before were victorious this time around, taking him back to their leader in the headquarters of the White Fang. Don't worry, if you have any confusion I promise that all you need to know will be figured out throughout your reading experience. And if you still have questions after this you're free to send me a DM._

Zuko's head was slumped down in front of his chest, a bag loosely over his head and his hands tied behind his back as the earthbenders dragged him along throughout the wasteland and desert. He sat in the back of a wagon that they had tossed him onto before leaving the town that he failed to protect. It was still hard for him to accept what had happened once he began firebending in the fight with them. Somehow it seemed like they knew ways to counter him in ways that pure battle and war wouldn't teach… almost as if they trained with a firebender themselves.

Those were some of his earlier thoughts along this journey, now his mind was simply on wherever these men were taking him. The location had to be somewhere that they didn't want him knowing the direct path to, since he had this filthy bag on his head. Whatever sack this was must have been older than the clothes he wore, carrying a stinch that he really didn't know the origin of. Why would he? He was just a banished prince who was only just recently being thrust into the world around him in ways he never thought he would.

Of course this was the fate that was put upon him once he left his uncle, the only person who cared enough to guide him after his banishment. Now he knew that he was a fool for thinking that he was truly better off on his own and not with his one and only mentor. If he did make it out of this, and he certainly wouldn't not make it out of this without a fight, he would be sure to make it back to Iroh. Whether or not he would take Zuko back in was another thought for a different time, now was the time to focus on what would come next.

The answer to those thoughts wouldn't take long to come, as the wagon came to an abrupt stop. Zuko fell back, his head crash landing onto the wood of the wagon behind him as he let out a low grunt to signal the quick pain that shot through his body. That moment would soon be forgotten as he was pulled with a heavy amount of force from the wagon, not being able to catch his fall as he hit the sand below in a state of dishevelment. Spitting the awful taste of dust from his mouth he shook his head, the sack falling from his face as his eyes were nearly sealed shut by the sunlight beaming down on him.

"Hey! no one told you to take that off." There was very little time to respond as a large hand yanked him up from the sand and up onto his knees, a large fist quickly connecting with his right cheek as he crashed back down into the sand. If his head wasn't killing him before it certainly felt awful now. With his vision blurry he did his best to look at his attacker, a large earthbender from before who was reaching down for Zuko with the look of intent to do more damage.

"Aye! You really think the boss wants us beating him up even more?" Both he and the large earthbender looked over to the voice that reached out to them, it coming from the man that seemed to be leading this group that attacked the village. His vision was finally becoming clear under the intense heat of the sun, so he was able to confirm this with a second look.

"He took the sack off of his head," The large man defended himself, motioning over to Zuko was still on the ground as he attempted to register all that was happening, "I was just-"

"You were just what? We're already here." The supposed leader swayed his arm around them, which finally brought the prince's attention to the place that he had been brought to. There were a combination of tents and houses built from bricks that were made from mud, the usual setup for a small town in this area. One of the key differences about this place was the size of it though, there seemed to be enough makeshift homes around them to house an army big enough to do some serious damage. All of this made him wonder what kind of 'boss' these two were rambling about.

"Now get him up so we can get him in to see the boss." Of course as soon as he starts thinking about the 'boss' in question the order is given to take him to the man or woman him/herself, after his run ins with his sister he knew better than to think any cruel leader would be a man.

"Well you heard him, up and easy." The large man grabbed Zuko by the arm, lifting him up to his feet with an expected level of ease. It wasn't hard to define this one as the dumb muscle of the group that brought him here. He did feel his strength returning to him, the sun certainly helping with that but attempting an escape at their stronghold all on his own with no real knowledge of the land was likely a very stupid idea.

"I can walk on my own." If anything though, he would at least like to be able to walk himself to wherever he was being taken, ripping his arm from the large man to send that message.

"I don't ever want to touch someone like you, so trust me," the large man effortlessly grabbed ahold of the prince a second time, this time his grip being much stronger and feeling much more restrictive, "that's not why I'm doing this."

As much as he would love to incinerate this man where he stood for treating him as he has so far, Zuko simply grunted as he was escorted throughout the village. There were a surprising number of families here, likely being dragged along by men like the ones he already had the pleasure of meeting. What surprised him even more though was how peaceful this area was in comparison to the other village. This was likely a false sense of prosperity that was being held up by raiding and harassing other villages like the one he was staying at, the thought only angering him.

His eyes fell on what looked like a mother and son playing with a ball as they tossed it back and forth, laughing occasionally. It wasn't hard for him to relate this to his own childhood where he would do something similar with Ursa, back before everything changed. Back when he too lived a life thinking that everything going on in the world was fine and that everyone prospered. Of course it didn't take long for those ideals to be shook from him by his father but it was still a nice time of his life while it lasted. Now he was on the other side of that, longing to be back in a more simpler time.

So… at the end of the day this place wasn't too different from the place he once called home.

…

The darkness of the tent was always an inviting place to someone like Adam, that being the reason he chose the low amount of lighting that kept his quarters visible to himself and to those who might enter. There weren't many decorations as this wasn't his own living space, rather it was just the place where he delegated his business with his followers or where he would meet with the rare visitor. So there was only a table and a set of chairs in the room, his chair being the only one that looked any different than a regular wooden one. It being a ceremonial Fire Nation chair that he and a group he took with him found once while out in a village close to a sea.

That's where he currently sat, his sword drawn as he lazily leaned back and looked over the red blade. Never before had he held a weapon like this, one that he felt so connected to every moment that he held onto it. Taking life with this weapon came as a second nature to him now which was likely a mixture of his exposure to killing and the fact that committing that act just felt so seamless with the sword. This has practically become all his life has become, taking lives with this sword everytime that he entered a battlefield then returning here until the next time he could strike.

For most people this would not be satisfying all on its own and it wasn't really satisfying for him either, but that was life. He learned a while ago that life wasn't a fun time where everyone got their own, no, every single life was driven by something that pushed them to a life they didn't expect to have. Adam would love to be a simple farmer in his old colony but that was never the path that was meant for him. His path was now before him and regardless of what his own desires were, revenge was what drove him now.

"Sir, we came across a bit of a surprise." He was pulled from his thoughts, slipping his sword back into its sheath as he turned his attention to the flaps of the tent where his men awaited permission to enter.

"Surprise?" Adam asked out into the air, unless they found enough money to get them some real resources to build more permanent homes or food actually worth eating he couldn't say that he was interested. Even he, the leader of this place, didn't have special access to such luxuries since they were still trying to just recruit more people into their cause.

"Yeah, more like a big surprise." Sanrock entered the tent, holding one of the flaps to the tent open as his larger companion Soccik entered dragging a disgruntled young man with him. As they entered the flap was dropped, the young man being forced to his knees as he seemed ready to protest but chose not too for whatever reason.

The two that brought him here remained silent, forcing their leader to sigh and move to his feet as he made his way over to the young man to get a good look at him. His mask seemed to take up the attention of the man, his eyes observing Adam quite intently. "I only see a defeated young man."

"He's-"

"I'm Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation." Zuko broke his silence, a clear level of anger and resilience on his tone as he continued to look up at the leader of this group.

Soccik stepped forward ready to lay into the prince for the interruption. "I swear you need to be ta-"

"Zuko… you're a banished prince now. Aren't you?" Adam had become far more interested in the young man now that he knew who he was, wondering if he had a death wish to be this deep in the Earth Kingdom alone.

"Well?" Tilting his head he looked at the Prince's left eye, the scar being something that certainly struck a place even in someone such as himself.

"Yes." He already knew that the answer was yes before Zuko ever confirmed it, but he didn't know why. After all it wasn't like something like banishment just happened everyday, especially when the banished were once high regarded royalty. As far as he knew that was something that would only ever be used on traitors of the Fire Nation or anyone that the Fire Lord just simply didn't want around anymore.

It wasn't likely that the Fire Lord's own son would betray him, even if there was the possible opening for it. There just wasn't any logic too that since it would likely leave this young man in a far worse situation than simply being the prince could offer him. So whatever it was that did lead to his banishment had to be something more simple than that for him to just be casted away. Needless to say, his mere presence was enough to drive Adam to become curious.

"Leave us." Without another word the Sanrock and Soccik left the tent, leaving the two of them behind for whatever their leader had planned. He turned his back to Zuko and walked over to the far side of the tent so to give himself some time to think. Along with his action he also hoped that the silence would draw some kind of response from the other man in the room. Going off of his response would make it easier for him to make a judgement on this situation.

"Your mask… you're not an earthbender are you?"

Immediately Adam turned back to face him again, it wasn't often that others knew about the mask before meeting him. "We're both away from our homeland."

"Only because I'm not allowed to be, I'm not a traitor like you."

"No," He stepped closer to the Prince, "you're just a castaway."

The movement seemed to put Zuko on edge, his shoulders raised as he got to his feet. "Why did you want to speak with me alone?"

"I'm a firebender, like you. So I'm going to give you the opportunity to explain yourself to me." Slowly, Adam made his way over to the table in the center of the room, taking a seat in his own unique chair before motioning for the other to also sit. In all his years he had never met another firebender who seemed to be as driven by anger as this one was, outside of himself. Yes, firebending did play off of one's emotions so there were hate led firebenders before in his own life but none like this. None were so motivated by that emotion once they were alone, they usually were scared instead. "Why did my men bring you here?"

There was clear hesitation on the other young man's face as he looked to the table, but after he seemed to be lost to his own thoughts for another few moments he sat opposite of Adam at the table. "I was defending that helpless village, there's no reason to attack or harass them. They have no warriors and hardly any supplies!"

Sure, his reason for doing this was noble but he sounded like one of their own and not like that of his actual own. "Better question. Why were you, Prince Zuko, defending those of the Earth Kingdom?"

"I…" The question hit it's mark as the young man's head dipped, his eyes glancing down as he remained quiet. He couldn't blame Zuko for not knowing exactly how to answer him, the decision was made out of emotions and that much was clear. "I usually wouldn't bat an eye at such a situation. But they were kind to me, cared for me, so I returned the favor."

"Did they know who you were?" It made sense, for the most part that those from the Earth Kingdom would be nice to someone, even an outsider. However Adam knew from his own experiences that the same treatment was not given to anyone who came from the Fire Nation. The one taboo of the Earth Kingdom was that they didn't treat outsiders they didn't favor well, instead they treated them like animals.

"No, not initially."

"They didn't take the news well?" At this point he didn't have to ask anymore questions, the somber tone and gaze of Zuko told him all he really needed to know. But what he didn't know was the other young man's perspective on all of this. Again, situations like this where Fire Nation royalty found itself in his tent were far beyond rare so this was all very new to him. On that same notion, he couldn't help but to sympathize with the specific person that sat across from him now.

"No, they were upset… why are you asking me so many questions?" Confidence returned to the Prince faster than one would ever think it to be possible, he was clearly becoming irritated with the number of questions. Luckily for him, Adam was able to form his thoughts more clearly with the answers he already had. Both he and this young man were firebenders, and they both were marked with the past while trying to push through whatever present they found themselves in… and they hardly knew what their futures held.

"I understand your situation better than you know. If I let you leave, and promise to leave that one village alone, you won't mention this to anyone." The leader of this makeshift village placed his elbows on the table, feeling a tired state coming over him as he rested his head against his folded hands propped up off the table. On the other side Zuko seemed to be thinking over his options for what seemed like an eternity.

Then finally, he stood from the table and gave a closed eye nod."Understood."

"Good, let Sanrock know that I'm letting you take one of our animals for travel." Adam leaned back in seat, happy that this odd occasion was coming to its end. As fun was it was that he got to meet someone associated with his past he had to admit that he wasn't a fan of the edge that this added to his day. Things like this brought uncertainty to his mind and with uncertainty came a level of fear. That fear wouldn't be left unchecked though, he would make sure of that.

"Oh, and Zuko, I do this because of the fact that we both share a common heritage. I cannot promise this same kindness if we meet again." The Prince stopped one last time long enough to acknowledge what had been said before stepping out of the tent. This left the redhead alone again in his tent, so he did what he would usually do when he was alone and pulled his sword from its sheath. Before he would sharpen his blades whenever he found time like this but ever since he came into the possession of this one there was no need to. Little did he know just how much he would need that sword for what the future would bring his way.


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Wow, didn't expect to get so many views after publishing only my first chapter. Who knows, maybe that was actually the normal amount but honestly I'll take it regardless. This is the chapter where the story really begins though, and will really ignite this story I'm prepared to tell. This one takes place after Azula injured Uncle Iroh. Enjoy!_**

Squirrels jumped from branch to branch, birds chirped and flapped their tiny wings, small creatures ran across the afternoon ground of the forest where Azula had split up with Ty Lee and Mai earlier whenever she pursued the Avatar. All of these little sounds usually never bothered her but following what was ultimately a waste of her time she couldn't say that she was feeling too particularly well. Then of course came the racket of a woodpecker drilling away into a tree, the little vermin going up in smoke as a quick and lethal blue flame hit it with pinpoint accuracy.

"You think Azula is going to be mad? I wouldn't want to upset her." The Princess stopped dead in her tracks as she heard the familiar voice of Ty Lee, who was unaware that she already knew of their failure. Yes, at the time of her escape she was quite furious at the fact that she had become overwhelmed but it had been a while since then. There was only agitation left now and she never had a hard time keeping that part of herself under control when in the face of her peers.

"Me neither, she's always in a mood once she's mad." What Mai just said would bother her if she didn't know the girl better. Ever since they were kids she was always one to say blunt things like that and in some ways it did make her a good friend to be around. Azula was aware that even she wasn't perfect so when someone was willing to help her focus on the few flaws she did possess she was able to squish those flaws so that she inch closer to the person she wanted to become.

"Yeah but it never lasts too long."

"Long enough."

"You only say that beca-"

"Girls," As if on cue both Mai and Ty lee quit their bickering and turned to the sound of their leader's voice as the Princess herself stepped out of the woods and before them, "I'm afraid I wasn't able to capture the Avatar."

"What? Why?" It was just like Ty Lee to get way too close when becoming curious or concerned like she was now, only inches away from Azula's face. She did appreciate the attention that the acrobat gave her but only when she genuinely wanted it. In a moment like this where her agitation was still eating away at her all she wanted to do was zap those innocent big eyes right out of her skull but obviously she couldn't.

"I'm afraid that I ran into several complications once I attempted to do so and I was forced to run." She stepped away from her over the top friend so to look off in the direction of the path that laid before them as she spoke.

"I'm sorry Azula, we had them beat it was just that big bison that got in the way."

"It doesn't matter. We walked into their trap knowing it, so we prepared for this outcome. What does matter is getting back on track. Follow me." Truth be told it did matter to her that they slipped up as they did which was why she formed the plan that she now had. After all she was the heiress to the Fire Nation throne and a failure being on her resume was not something that could be allowed. So now she would need a much bigger success so that the blemish that came from today could be wiped away and out of sight.

"What's the plan?" Mai finally chose to speak up, she must have finaly considered something worth talking about. So of course it was the one thing that would require any kind of real energy from her.

"Yeah Azula, what are we going to do?" At least Ty Lee sounded like she was still a little interested in what the rest of their day had planned for them.

"First, we'll take some supplies we'll need from a nearby town. Then we'll head to the shore so to regroup." The Princess needed more force if she was going to be successful in anything going forward and she was well aware of this. These two weren't bad assets but what she needed was the insurance that would give her the lack of doubt that she severely needed right now. So, what she really wanted was enough fire power and someone or something that she knew wouldn't hesitate in getting the job done.

"Most towns around here are apart of the Earth Kingdom." Mai did raise a good point, one that Azula had already thought about.

"Oh don't worry," a sly smile formed onto their leader's lips, "it won't be a problem."

A stench filled the air and it wasn't a stench anyone ever got used too. The smell of flesh and blood was one thing and burning flesh was another, but when put together you got a smell that kept the most violent predators away. Well… all violent predators outside of a young woman who happened to be the Fire Nation's own princess. Not that she was necessarily happy to be there in the moment.

Her, along with her two lackies, stood at the entrance of the destroyed village that they originally planned on staying at for the night. However without even stepping into the burnt and bloody area it was clear that there was no longer a place to rest any of their heads in a place such as this. They'd be lucky to even find any kind of supplies in a place as wrecked as this was. However, unfortunately for the other two girls this sort of thing intrigued Azula enough for her to want and poke her head around and see what really happened.

Not wasting anymore time she stepped into the village and approached one of the less damaged homes, stepping inside so to take a look. There wasn't anything special to see, it was just a plain home that looked a little damaged and empty. Sure there was an eerie feeling in the room but that was nothing that ever really bothered her even when she was a small child The door of the home opened behind her as Mai stepped in and looked around.

The two of them didn't share a word while they were in the home and eventually stepped back out into the ruined village. Ty Lee was moving about the village as she too looked for anything that would either be useful to them or any kind of clues so that they could find out what happened. With all of the ash and burnt rubble around them though it was pretty clear that finding either was going to become a rather impossible task. Even with the three of them and their collective knowledge and ability it wouldn't change much.

Azula and her group found their way to another village, this one being an Earth Kingdom village that was now under the control of the Fire Nation. It didn't seem that way at first glance though. Kids ran around as happy as could be and the village seemed just fine which was likely due to all the traffic that the village would get as it was a stopping point for those that wanted to get to Ba Sing Se. Sure, over half of any money the village made would likely be taken by the Fire Nation anyway but that wasn't something that someone like Azula was worried about.

"I never did understand why we would continue to let people into Ba Sing Se, why do we keep allowing this village to continue as it has?" Mai brought up a fair point as the three of them walked through the village's marketplace.

"There are reasons for such a thing, Mai. Just ones that are kept behind closed doors." It was all about surprise and Azula knew that. She was actually one of the few that suggested pretending like they actually cared about the citizens of this kingdom at all and just wanted to govern them themselves. Once you tricked them into believing that they wouldn't dare go to Ba Sing Se and try to start up trouble for the Fire Nation, which needed it's focus on something else entirely.

The three girls were brought to a stop when a little boy, who couldn't be older than seven, ran up to the princess and tugged on her pants. The other two girls watched in anticipation, knowing what could happen to the poor boy who really didn't know any better. "Hi Miss. I'm hungry, could you help me?"

As she stared down at the kid who smiled back up at her she felt relatively nothing for him, wishing only that he would let go of her and move on. But this did give her a way to keep the innocent one among them occupied while she and Mai attended to something else. So she placed her hand on the boy's head and shooed him over to Ty Lee. "Here, take him around and find food for him."

"Okay!" The more innocent of the three took the boy's hand and nodded to Azula. "I'll just be somewhere here in the market!" It wasn't another second before she had already taken the boy away to somewhere else in the marketplace. This left Mai and Azula alone with each other which was exactly what the princess wanted anyway.

"Why didn't you just run him off?"

"Because, Mai, you and I are going to do some investigating." It is was still a very curious matter in her mind about what had happened to the village that they crossed by earlier. Sure, it was possible that some of the Fire Nation's own was responsible for such a thing but still…. That didn't stop her from wanting to get to the bottom of went down there, especially since it wasn't in the Fire Nation's interest to go about attacks the way that village was.

The lighting of the large tent where the Fire Nation captain stayed in the village was not what Azula would prefer. Usually she would have it set at a more bright level so that she wouldn't have to squint to see more clearly. Distractions such as this was why this man was a captain here in this village and not in a more honorable position in their military. It probably wasn't his fault though, his family more than likely praised him for where he already got too so why should he push himself if his family settled for this kind of mediocrity.

"Oh you want information on that, huh?" Her attention was drawn from the walls of the tent back to the man sitting before her as he finally addressed her.

"That's what I just said, isn't it?" She knew that this wasn't an everyday situation for someone like him, but that didn't mean that he was allowed to waste her time by repeating himself.

"Well…" The man removed his helmet and ran a hand over his thin hair, "To be honest we don't know too much. It's hard to get information on a party as violent as this one."

"Well tell me what you do know." Her tone was more harsh this time around, it was a given that the group was mysterious and violent so there was no reason to just state the obvious, again wasting her time.

"We know where this group resides, our own intel was able to gather that much. And they seem to have a leader." A location… well that was very basic but it at least gave her something to work with.

"Any of them firebenders?"

"Firebenders?" He leaned forward a bit, holding a hand over his mouth as he let out a soft chuckle. Lucky him that Azula didn't find his current actions to be all too outlandish since it did make sense. "No, many of them seem to be earthbenders so of course not."

"Thank you," She was quick to her feet, taking a quick bow before turning to face Mai who hadn't left her side. "send one of your intel operatives to meet with me at once."

"Of course… Princess Azula."

"Still plan on going?" Mai said as she kept up with Azula's pace as the two of them exited the tent and now stood in the evening light.

"Yes, I just have this feeling." The captain may have waved it off, but something just told her that there was a firebender in this group. That village didn't have the look of one that was attacked by natural fire even if the attacks were messy. The real question she had to loom over was what she would do once she confronted this person, or people if there was more than one.

"A… feeling?"

"Yes, don't question it Mai." Azula waved off the questioning tone that came from her faithful subordinate, it wasn't the time for that. Now they needed to go find Ty Lee and meet with this operative so that they could go get to the bottom of this. After all, she couldn't just have this rogue group making a bad name for her home… her brother already did enough of that.

Azula had a bit of a disgusted feeling as she looked at the makeshift homes of this… group that she and her lackeys made their way too. If she had to even tolerate this kind of living for even a day she would lose her mind. And here were these people seemingly content or even happy from what she could see so they had to be somewhat crazy, right? Regardless she let out a deep breath before taking a step into the village.

"Can we help you?" A thin man approached the three of them, a larger man behind him as others from around them continued on with their day. The tone of the man being annoyed as he looked them over, clearly not happy that uninvited guests were here.

"Yes, can you point me in the direction of the firebender who stays with you?" There were two ways that this would go in her own mind, either she would meet this firebender or if there wasn't one here the three of them would bring this pathetic excuse of a town to the ground.

"Who's asking?" The larger man asked, his muscles clearly tensed up as he was ready for a fight, odd how quick these two were to assume that this could go there. Must have had a recent conflict to be on edge like this.

"Princess Azula, who doesn't need her time wasted." It was subtle but she slowly moved her feet to be shoulder width apart so that she would be ready for what was surely about to come.

"Princess huh? You royalty are all the same." Before the thin man could even finish his sentence the other larger one charged forward at the Princess herself. Foolish man, thinking that his size would give him the advantage in a frontal attack like this. As he went for an over the head punch she swung a fist to her right side to propel herself off the ground by blasting fire downward.

Sliding to a stop he tried to recoil but she was quicker than he likely anticipated, as she flipped through the air behind him and sent two balls of fire at the heels of the man. He had to have been stupid, grabbing at his feet as he rolled back on feet and attempted to rub the pain away from his feet. As he was on his back though she didn't let up, stomping down on his shoulder with herself posed and ready to unleash an attack. Mai and Ty Lee did their own part too, having taken down the thinner man as a small crowd now formed around them.

"I don't know what you meant by that but-" Azula was quickly cut off by what sounded like an explosion that had been set off into the air, her eyes quickly darting around to locate the source of this. It didn't take long either, as her sights set on a red haired, masked young man who had a sword in one hand and another weapon that she couldn't identify in the other. A smirk crawling onto her lips as he stepped forward, their attention clearly on the other as everyone else grew deathly quiet.

**_A/N: Ugh! Man this chapter took me forever to write! I apologize if some of the writing seemed a little forced because it probably was. I let this chapter get drawn out for way too long so I honestly wanted to just let it end. And hey, how was that for an end of a chapter? ;P Stay tuned for Chapter 3!_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: I was happy to finally be done with chapter 2 honestly, not that I wasn't happy to be writing the story it was just that I let it take way too long. On the other hand, chapter 3 is something that I'm actually quite excited to write and I'm sure it's pretty obvious as to why! Adam and Azula have met and now we will get to see how this meeting actually goes down and I sure hope it doesn't disappoint. Lord knows I was so excited to be writing this chapter.**_

Not much was said after Adam put a stop to the little fight that had taken place outside of his tent, everyone moving to his own quarters as Azula made it clear that she just wanted to talk. He didn't really believe that but if there was a chance that they could get through this without anymore senseless conflict he would rather take this route. So here they sat, him across from her with a long table between them, each of their closest followers behind them. A single fire lit lamp between them that did a not so spectacular job of keeping the room well lit.

"Nice place, never did understand lighting like this though."

"Thanks…" Her tone was just way too at ease and joyful for someone that had taken such a violent approach just moments ago, she was definitely harder to define than her more upfront brother.

"There's no need to be short with me, Adam." Azula's eyes had been looking about the empty room but when she said his name they came right back to his face, not his eyes since they were concealed by his mask. "That's your name right?"

"That is what I just said." His jaws clenched as he spoke, her tone alone was enough to get him unsettled.

"And you, of course, know my name." A small smile crept onto her lips, a chill running down his spine at the sight.

"Princess Azula... of the Fire Nation." Even before this meeting it would be quite hard for him to forget someone like her. Back when he was in the Fire Nation military he could still recall the stories, the horror stories, from the older generals of what it was like to be in the presence of this little brat. If she didn't like the way you began a sentence she would have you banished or worse killed for such a thing, even as a younger woman her reputation got around.

"Please, you're a fellow firebender, there's no need for the formality." She closed her eyes, waving her hand as to try and rid the tension that was still clear in his voice.

"Well you did want a meeting with me, I'm just giving you what you want."

"Well that's not all I want, I want you to join me and my party." Adam was taken by surprise by her demand, leaning back in his chair as he gripped his chair's arms a little tighter.

"Right to the point, but I can't do that." Just the fact alone that she even tried to demand such a thing was just crazy to him, then again this whole situation was crazy so this did fit in its own way.

"What? You have to remain here in this slump?"

"You filth-" The hair on the back of the masked man's neck stood up as Soccik exclaimed, the young man leaping up from his own chair to face his follower.

"That's enough, Soccik!" Raising an arm he wasn't surprised to see the once seated men now both on their feet with the look to kill on each of their faces. However they respected him, so although they remained standing they did relax each of their expressions.

"Didn't mean to hit a nerve, I was just speaking the truth as I see it."

"Well…" Adam slowly turned back to be facing her again, "regardless of what you may think, this is where I have made a life for myself. It's where I wish to be, not working for the Fire Nation." He had seen his fair share of life in the Fire Nation and it wasn't something he was wanting back on his life.

"Adam, I respect your want to stick to what you wish to do, but I did not come here just to leave empty handed."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" What she said certainly hit a nerve, the young man gripping his sword's hilt as he removed a small bit of the blade. This action bringing Mai and Ty Lee to their feet as they were clearly ready for the battle that was seemingly upon them now.

"No, I'm smarter than to do something like that." Azula put her own hands up, but to calm her own followers who lost the tension from their own stances. "Rather… I'd like to challenge you, Adam Taurus, to an Agni Kai."

"An Agni Kai? And why should we consider that?" He may have been away from the Fire Nation for quite some time but he hadn't forgotten what an Agni Kai was. Although he only ever took part in scrimmages he had watched several legit duels between different generals or simply other soldiers who were on edge. This was not the sort of thing that should ever be taken lightly, and this situation only raised the stakes.

"Because, if we fight as we are now and I die the military of the Fire Nation will find you and kill you… you know that too, don't you?" It wasn't something he wanted to just admit but she was right, this acknowledgement finally getting him to relax and sheath the small bit of his sword that he had drawn.

"So if I kill you in an Agni Kai, they won't?"

"That's right, but of course if I win I get my own reward." The young woman finally got to her own feet, crossing her hands behind her back. "And we both know what I want, as I've already said it."

"I get it." Leaving this place was something he would prefer death over, especially when leaving meant joining the Fire Nation again but he didn't have a choice anymore.

"So, do we have a deal?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Boss… you can't-" He raised a hand to silence Sanrock.

"I accept, you'll have forty-five minutes to prepare." Azula bowed slightly before wasting no time in leaving the tent with her two followers not far behind her, part of the tension finally leaving the room. Adam letting his shoulders fall forward slightly as his gaze fell to the floor. This would be the second hardest fought battle in his entire life.

With the downtime that was given before the battle both parties chose to help themselves to some food so that they could relax. Adam, Soccik, and Sanrock were out of the tent and seated in the part of the village where most of the food was prepared for larger meals. Now though it was just the three of them, him and his most trusted companions. The food they ate was nothing to marvelous, just some soup that one of the village cooks was able to make on such short notice.

"Boss-" Sanrock spoke, placing his spoon down in his soup on the table that the three of them were sharing.

"Please, call me Adam." The young man chose to keep sipping on his soup while they spoke so that he could try and keep his mind off of what was ahead.

"Adam… you aren't actually going to go through with this are you?"

"It's already been agreed to, Sanrock." Sure, there was regret in his words as he thought back to the agreement that he made with her. At the time his adrenaline was pumping and he was on edge so the decision was such an easy one to make. Now though he was realizing just how much was at stake when he could no longer call this place home if he lost.

"I know but… she isn't going to be some pushover, there's a good chance that she could beat you." It was touching to hear the care in man's voice as he spoke.

"I'm aware, I wouldn't take the Princess of the Fire Nation lightly." He actually always did his best to never take anyone as some easy opponent but in this situation that wasn't something that was hard for him to do.

"Well we won't just let that happen, if we have to we'll come in and help you." Soccik finally spoke, and although what he said was clearly foolish it was also admirable.

"No, you won't. If you do that the consequences will be far more severe than just you losing your leader." Adam's tone became more strict as he responded, his leadership finally bleeding through as he wanted to make himself clear. He would not be the reason that so many people just senselessly lost their lives over nothing really. So if that meant killing a young woman or becoming her lapdog he would take it.

"I…"

"We just don't want to lose the only leader we've ever truly respected. I think that is where my friend is coming from." Sanrock placed a hand on his larger comrade's shoulder, a kind smile on his lips as what he said connected with their leader.

"I don't want any part of this," the young man lowered his head as he felt himself choke up on his words, "but unfortunately this is the situation we're in."

This drew the three of them to silence, only the sound of their soup being drank filling the area between them. Clearly none of them were fond of the bind that they were now in and each of them understood the gravity of what was to come. Sure, she said that if he won that nothing else would happen but that was hard to believe. Which made it very clear that even if he wanted to win this fight that the chances were against him.

"What should we do if you lose?" The question did have to be asked eventually.

"There's hundreds of people here, you'll just have to come together and survive. And even thrive with what has been made here." He meant exactly what he spoke. Over the last six months the growth of this place was impressive to say the least even if how it grew wasn't the most respectable way.

"Adam… you won't lose right? We'll all be there to support you." A little girl who couldn't have been older than six years old tugged on the back of his coat as she asked him in her worried voice. He could feel his body tense up at the thought that he was worrying not only his men but those that lived in the village as well. Trying to put on a smile though he turned around the face the young girl.

"I'll do my best, for each and every last person here." Adam placed a hand atop her head, this giving him a reminder of what exactly it was that he was fighting for.

The three girls sat outside of the village, resting on a large blanket that Mai usually carried as they ate dry meat that Azula overcooked. It wasn't like she meant to overcook it but using her flames for cooking is far different than how she usually uses it. It didn't really matter either way though, it would make do for the short amount of time that they had. Then it would be onto the main event.

"Azula, I don't understand why we're doing this?" Mai spoke up, her tone still lazy even as she was questioning her.

"Eating plain food? We didn't have enough funds on us to get more." The Princess took a rough bite out of the meat and did her best to scarf it down.

"No, I mean this whole ordeal. Why are we even bothering with this?"

"Yeah, we could just report this to the military. They often take care of strays like that Adam guy anyway." Ty Lee chose to put her own input in, and it wasn't really bad commentary either.

"Girls, we were defeated the last time we approached the Avatar and he was only a child." She closed her eyes and put the meat down on the blanket. "If we're going to accomplish anything we clearly need more forces on our side."

"Why don't we just get another expert from the Fire Nation itself?" Mai pushed further, and again the logic was there so it made sense to ask it.

"We could do that, and it would be easy. But isn't it obvious? This young man somehow found a way to form this whole group of his, and he's good enough to take care of whole villages as we saw." There was one way to impress Azula and that was through a display of power like what she saw in that burnt rubble that Adam had left behind. Even now she had a hard time getting the image of that place out of her mind. Before even seeing him he had left an impression on her and that alone was worthy of her attention.

"He's dangerous." Ty Lee added.

"Yes, but aren't we? We took a whole kingdom." A smile formed on her lips, almost as if the memory of conquest was something that she enjoyed to reminisce.

"What's your point?" It was just like Mai to get to the point like that.

"Adam is like us, young and talented. I don't want him rotting away in a cell or being killed because of his own stubbornness. No, he'll be better suited working with us." She hoped that her explanation was enough to put this topic to bed. In the end it was really more simple than that though, she was just curious about the young man really. And this next fight between them would really tell her what she wanted to know.

"I get it… but you're also putting yourself at risk-"

"Don't be silly, I don't lose." Azula's smirk returned to her lips as she cut Ty Lee off, picking up the meat again so that she could finish this meal and move onto what really mattered.

There Adam stood, outside of the village he made himself as most of its occupants looked on with a mixture of emotions clear on their faces. And why wouldn't they be in a situation like this? In just a matter of time they could be without a leader and with that no real direction to go in. This was what was on the young man's mind as he looked on at his opponent who wore a smirk that said she had no real care in the world although she was to be locked in combat.

Even though he had only met her this very day there was already something about the woman that just made his blood boil. His lips curling into a tight scowl as his jaws were clinched, his feelings on the surface even when he wore the mask that he did. Perhaps it was simply the threat that she posed that put him on edge like this. But something told him that there was more to it than that so he would keep that in mind.

"We've waited long enough-"

Before he could even begin to digest Azula's words she launched a burst of flames in his direction. The blue color that emitted from them took him off guard but this wasn't an attack he hadn't seen before. All he had to do was roll out of the way, and sure enough he dodged the attack just in time. However before he could catch his breath she was already right in his face.

He didn't have the time to react so he could only close his eyes but instead of flames he felt a swift kick slam up into his chin that sent him tumbling back through the dirt. Landing on his stomach he shook his head to try and clear the dizziness from his thoughts. Although he would hate to admit it she had a wide open shot to take him out and she just didn't take it. That meant that she was toying with him, which was all she had been doing with him since she had gotten here.

"Ever learn to keep your head up?"

Her words pierced his ears as her heel crashed down onto his skull stomping him back down into the sand.

"You can't be the one everyone talks about? Maybe it's one of your lackeys? Should I try that instead?"

Now she was mocking him, revealing that she didn't have much respect for the moment that she was in. Adam couldn't stand that. Here he was prepared to give his all and being tossed around by her so far and all she could do in return was belittle him like this? Heat filled his veins and rushed to his face, his left hand grasping his sheath hard enough to make him bleed.

With one swift motion he removed his sword, swinging hard up at Azula as she flipped back, in awe at the wave of flames that were sent out from the blade's swing. This finally gave him the time to get to his feet and then put his sword away into its sheath. He would have been lying if he said that pushing her back didn't feel good in some manner. However that didn't last long at all as he scanned the sand ahead of him for his opponent, her being nowhere in sight.

Then he felt a good amount of weight suddenly fall on his right shoulder, his head quickly snapping back and up as his eyes saw her. She was… standing on his shoulder. An animalistic grunt left him as he swung his shoulder back which sent her flipping through the air. However as he tried to send another wave of flames out at her from his sword she simply used her own firebending to propel her out of the way and back onto her feet on the sand.

She wasn't just a talented bender, she was quick and agile on a level that he had truly never seen before. Well… there may have been one another but that wasn't a memory worth bringing back in a moment like this. His footing was less confident than before, his stance turning to one of defense as he prepared his sword for her next attack. Without even being able to truly go on the offensive even once it was clear that he was going to have to take a different approach to this woman than what he was used too.

"Curious, curious." This time she sent a volley of blue flames his way, and in return Adam removed his sword to block each individual blast that was sent his way. Shock seeming to come over the face of the Princess as his blade was somehow absorbing whatever she was throwing at him. "Well well, how about this?" This time she swept a leg low, sending a wave of flames at his feet which forced him to leap into the air.

That had to have been her plan as she leaped into the air and swung a kick towards his gut. He was only quick enough to bring up his sheath to block the attack which sent him crashing back down into the sand. Then he barely raised his sword as yet another blue blast of flames came down and crashed into his weak defense. This sent him rolling back, dropping both his blade and its sheath as he landed on his back and felt the pain shooting through his body.

This wasn't just a tough battle, this was the hardest fight he had ever taken part of. Sure, not all of her attacks had made a hit on him but from the start all he had been able to do was go on the defensive. At this point he wouldn't be surprised if she just decided that she wanted to kill him instead, he was being made a fool after all. His own disappointment in his abilities making it hard for him to try and get up from his spot in the sand.

"Heh, you know… you have the looks of just a lousy colonial now that I've had a closer look."

That, that was what it took for him to at least jolt forward to a sitting position. Slouched forward he looked down at his lap… was it that obvious that she had been able to just notice that he was from the Fire Nation Colonies? After all the work he had put in it was still that clear? Nothing was going to be able to change that, no matter how hard he tried.

_-flashback-_

Adam landed hard on his back, the air knocked from his chest for the moment as he tried to sit up. But that effort was futile as his general stomped his boot down onto his chest. He would rebel and try and remove the boot from his chest but rebelling was already what brought him here. Then as he laid there a kick to the head sent his helmet flying off his head, him shooting a glance of anger up at the man responsible.

"You don't deserve to give me such a look, colonial." A hard slap stung his right cheek as the general again furthered his dominance over the young man. Really he should have seen this coming, he had watched before as others from the colonies would get treatment like this. Their parents and home villages didn't have the power to retaliate so why should their own be treated differently than those from the mainland?

Now he just left his head on its side, wanting this to be over so that he could move on with his day. However that wasn't going to be anytime soon and he knew that. Especially after he actually gave this general a reason to want and beat up on him like this. But he had no choice, he couldn't just stand there and watch some other colonial get bullied like that.

So, although he would indeed lay there and take punches to the gut, slaps to the face, and kicks to the side to him it would be worth it since he was taking the fall and not her. The general almost seemed to be impressed by how silent Adam had been in the beating he had took, even offering the beaten boy a hand up. He was reluctant to take the help but in the end it would lead to less trouble and he knew that. Remaining silent he took the hand, feeling a part of him slip away as he was pulled up this feet.

"Now, don't speak up like that again." The general gave him a nod before turning his back and heading for the exit of the courtyard they had been in. Adam had been so prideful to do that for his fellow colonial but now he was standing there a broken and belittled boy for simply doing what was right. Was doing the right thing even worth it in a place like this? He wouldn't have the time to finish that thought as the general spoke one last time. "You're a good soldier, and you have good spirit. Turn it into something and let go of that pesky colonial attitude."

_-flashback over-_

But he wasn't able to let go of this part of himself. That was why Azula was able to so easily locate it now in the midst of their one-sided battle. However he couldn't just let his mind wander on that, he had to find a way back into this fight. He had to pick himself back up and do what was right for all those that he was currently fighting for.

This wasn't a battle of ideals or a battle of what it meant to be who he was, rather he was doing this so to help those that believed in him. People actually believed in him so he couldn't just let them down, after all these situations didn't happen everyday. That much being clear with his back in the sand as he tried to motivate himself to move.

"Maybe I'll just kill you instead."

Jolting back to life Adam leaped up to his feet and dashed forward, picking up his weapons as he brought a hard slash down onto Azula. She just leaped out of the way though and sent another blast of flames his way. This time he was ready for this kind of reaction though as he brought up his sword and sheath, absorbing the flames. Then before she had time to react he leaped forward and instead of a tradition move with his sword he quickly unsheathed the sword which sent the butt of the hilt into her chin.

Finally she was sent reeling back with a hand on her chin, trying to regain herself as he sheathed his blade yet again. It was nothing more than a mere jab but what it meant was so much more. That there was more fight in him whether she liked that or not and he wasn't just going to go away. She must have realized this as a scowl appeared on her face, another round of shots being fired in his direction.

He would absorb the first into his sword, then roll away from the second and block the third with his sheath before absorbing another shot of fire. This process would repeat itself too for another few rounds until she seemed to need a moment to catch her breath. That wasn't something he could lend to her in a fight like this though as he jumped into the air above her. Spinning around he built up momentum before coming down hard with another over the head blow from his sword aimed right at her again.

Using one hand to shoot flames at him in order to slow his attack she also used her other to propel herself away from him. Sure, his attack missed as he landed back on his feet atop the sand be was successful in absorbing more flames from her so there was that to take away from this. He had hardly said a word since this battle had begun, and now here they were staring down one another with expressions set to kill. All it took was his own motivation for him to both get serious and give himself a chance in this nearly impossible battle.

She would make the next move as she sent a blast of flames at him again, but this time her aim was at his feet so to force Adam to leap out of the way of the attack. He picked up on her advances and knew this was to create an opening for herself though which was why he was able to bring up his sheath to block the majority of the damage from the wide kick she tried at his side. So before she could retaliate to his block he dropped the sheath and wrapped his fingers around her ankle. Shock evident on her face as she was pulled forward, the butt of the hilt of his sword crashing hard into her cheek.

This would cause her to kick away from him, Azula now being her own bit of a mess as he picked his sheath back up and put his sword back into it. If he was going to have any chance of actually winning this fight it would be right here and now while he still had her on edge. Knowing this he took a wide stance and bent his knees, grasping hard onto his weapons as his hands heated up. He was preparing a technique that he had come up with himself, his emotions, his own bending ability, and the absorbed bending all being welded into one massive attack in his sword.

"Well, are just going to stand there and pose at me or are you going to do something?"

She was trying to trick him into attacking so that he would reveal an opening to her, however in this instance he was happy to play along. "You shouldn't have asked for that." Quickly, he pulled out his sword, the red blade now scolding hot as flames seemed to be pouring off of it. Part of him felt bad, knowing what was about to happen as he looked ahead and saw the look of awe on the face of the Princess. He had to act though, so he rose his blade over his sand and struck it down into the sand as hard as he physically could in her direction.

Flames erupted forward, consuming everything ahead of them with a wide radius. The eruption of flames and energy was so much that it was even able to knock Adam back who rolled a few times before quickly making his way back to his feet. He knew that the pain would certainly set in once his own adrenaline wore off but that didn't matter. There was no way that even someone as talented and as skilled as Azula could possibly have dodged or survived an attack as massive and powerful as that.

"Azula!" His attention was pulled from the flames immediately though, his eyes falling on the two girls who had been with her when they arrived. Terror and anguish, along with any other negative emotion was all over their faces as they looked on at what had consumed their leader whole. It wasn't hard for him to put himself in their shoes either. If he had been the one on the receiving end of the final blow his own followers, those who were counting on him, would have had a similar response.

Even someone as malicious as her was a human, the thought of this being enough to even bring tears to his eyes. Then the ground shook as a loud, unbelievably loud thunder clap rung out into the area. Adam was nearly taken off his feet as a bolt of lightning shot out and into the sky, his massive wall of flames splitting as a unscathed Azula stood with one hand forward. His eyes wide in astonishment as he had both never seen anything like that and could not believe that such a powerful attack was just negated.

Now wasn't the time for him to be awestruck though, as he pulled the trigger on his sheath. She had put up one hell of a fight, and was hands down the superior of the two but that last strike must have took her energy as his launched sword bounced off her head. With the sword spinning through the air and the Princess being sent crashing down to the sand below he spent no time just standing by as he rushed forward as fast as he could. Then as he caught his sword in one hand and stomped his boot down onto her shoulder to keep her pinned there he was, his blade raised for the final strike.

There… was always that moment of hesitation though. Even when he knew that he had to do it he couldn't just senselessly murder another. And that would be the last mistake in this battle as she quickly spun herself up from the sand by kicking off the ground and sent him toppling back. As he tried to recover another bolt of lightning shook the ground they fought on, this one connecting with sword and sending it far away from the two of them.

A knee went hard into his chest as she pushed him down into the sand, two fingers pressed hard against his neck as her smirk finally returned to her lips. With that his own shoulders slumped down, his body weakening as he accepted what this meant. "I win, Taurus."

_**A/N: Woo! Chapter 3 is done and it is by far my favorite chapter of this fanfic so far. So much drama, intensity, and action! I really hope that it didn't disappoint and I hope the action was as fun to read as it was to write. So… Adam has lost which means that Azula is getting exactly what she wanted, as usual I suppose. This fanfic is far from over though, I hope you all enjoyed. Please leave a comment if you loved the chapter!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: I had such a blast writing chapter 3, truly. But we're past that point now and onto chapter 4. Obviously this will not have the same intensity as the previous chapter but that doesn't mean the story is anywhere near over. Actually, the story is just beginning really. And with that said let us get right into this.**_

Azula was never one to understand why people would act so tense when they were afraid of her. If she did make a threat when she wanted someone to do something, or even just forced someone else to do something for her, wouldn't it be more productive to disregard that fear and get the work done. After all, if they were to try and perform an act while under such emotions there would be no way that they would be at their top level. That had to be why it was nearly nightfall by the time these sand benders were able to get her and her group through the desert and to the forest line they needed to reach.

Even when she jumped off one of their vessels she could see them flinching out of the corner of her eye. Honestly, all she did was destroy one of these vehicles and threaten to have the military hunt them down if they didn't work for her. She hadn't even harmed any of them and here they were acting as if she had beat on them for the duration of the trip. Even Adam, as silent and distant he had been ever since he was beaten and dragged along with them, wasn't acting this cowardice.

"The Fire Nation thanks you for your help, this is the end of your required services." Ty Lee had been the first to get by Azula's side, bowing and thanking the sand benders since the Princess surely wouldn't do such a thing. She had no reason to thank anyone when she should just expect that people would do things for her. It was just always her expectation, and they were helping royalty so that was a reward of its own.

"Yeah, whatever." The sandbenders waited until both Adam and Mai had moved over to the rest of their group before quickly speeding off into the sand in the evening light.

"Well, I'd say that was a successful trip, wouldn't you all?" The Princess stretched her muscles, yawning silently as she prepared herself for the journey ahead through the woods.

"Yes, of course." Ty Lee was always quick to answer her immediately, knowing quick responses pleased her.

"I got to sit and travel, it was nice." And of course Mai would give the lazy response, that was so typical of her. However Azula also waited for an answer to come from the young man himself who just remained quiet. Looking around Mai she saw him, his head hanging slightly as he stood a little further away from them than she would like.

"Adam?" She pushed, wanting to at least say something.

"It's over, at least." His words were forced, that much clear as he didn't even move his head to meet her own glance.

"You left your most trusted in charge, Adam, leave those thoughts of concern behind." At this point her attention was solely on him as she walked over to him, keeping only a few feet from him as she stood to his side. But even as she did that he still didn't say a thing. He just remained standing there, clearly lost in his own thoughts.

"Something the matter?" The question wasn't really genuine, her hand on her hips as she really just wanted to bury whatever it was that was making him like this. That wasn't what she got though, instead he slung his bag of belongings over his shoulder and walked away from her, in the direction of the forest. A more annoyed expression covering her face as she looked on at him.

"No one likes being taken from their home." Another voice finally spoke up, it belonging to Mai as her other two followers walked over to her.

"You would call that place a home?" Azula wrinkled her nose at the thought of staying in a rundown, makeshift village like that.

"Well, no. But to him it was."

"Yeah, like you said he's a colonial. Establishing his own home is in his blood." The Princess had to admit that Ty Lee's addition to the conversation was a surprising one. But even an aloof girl like her was aware of the social standings in the Fire Nation.

"Perhaps, but he needs to let go. We'll need his focus if his strength will be utilized properly." It took her longer than she would have ever wanted to, but in their battle she did draw out the fighting ability from him that she knew was there. And now it was working for her which only made her even more excited to see what she could do with something like that. Which was why she needed him to move on so that she could go ahead and use his power for her own wants.

"I'm sure he will, just give him some time." Mai picked up her own belongings as she finished her part of the conversation and followed after the young man in question, the other two following behind.

"Hm. Fine, but if it gets in the way I'll have to take that time away from him." Azula didn't want to force the issue if she didn't have to, but by no means did that mean that she wouldn't.

The four of them didn't make it too far before Azula ordered them to stop for the night and set up camp. A tent just for the princess, while the other three would be left to their sleeping bags or blankets that they carried with them. In their sleeping quarters though was a small fire that was easy to put together for a firebender that served to both keep them warm and heat up the soup they still had on them. Sure, the soup was awful but here they were, Azula and her two closest followers close to the fire as Adam sat away from them with his back to them.

So here he was, moving his spoon around in the soup as he thought about what he had just left behind. No, not what he had just left behind but what he had just failed to do. For the first time in his life Adam was able to give himself some form of control and was even respected as a leader. However, all that wouldn't even last a year before true royalty… a little girl who always seemed in control would come along and put him in his place.

Not even having spent an hour in his presence and she was able to identify that he had once been a colonist in the Fire Nation. No matter what he had done, his level of training and his commitment to making himself something new, she so easily saw through all of it. And because of that he was back to being what he always was. Just some soldier who was wanted for his ability and nothing more.

As he took a sip from the soup he turned his attention to it, smiling and giving a depressing chuckle as a realization came to his mind. His purpose here with the Princess was very similar to this soup that he was now eating. Sure, she wanted the soup and even needed it so that her own journey so in that sense it did have an important role. The issue though, was that once she either didn't prefer soup anymore or just wanted a better soup that she would just toss it away like it was nothing.

"Hey there, masked fellow." Adam's shoulders tensed up as he looked up at the one that had come up behind him, the happier one with the pony tail, and placed a hand on his shoulder. All she was met with though was an emotionless expression in the form of an unamused look her way.

"Oh c'mon," She wasn't one to give up as she sat right in front of him, placing a hand up to her mouth so to hide what she was saying from the others. "I'm not Azula."

That much was certainly true in what seemed to be in just about every way. "You are?"

"Ty Lee! And you're Adam!" She pointed to herself and then to him as she stated both of their names, being even more peculiar than before as she gained even more energy almost seemingly out of nowhere.

"You… seem rather happy for someone in your position." It was almost like she was still the little kids he once saw back in the colony who weren't aware of their own situation. He used to be like that too, running around on a playground without a thought in the world about the world. But here she was, in the midst of a larger than life group working with a stone cold young woman and she still acted this way.

"You just expect everyone in the Fire Nation to be like you, Mai, and Azula's brother?" Although Adam had only spent little time around Zuko, unknown to this group, and even less time around Mai he was well aware of what she was talking about.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"All dark and gloomy," He tilted her head at her, not sure if to be amused or offended, "not taking the time to even smile."

"Maybe we seem similar, but I'm not like them." Adam honestly… couldn't even begin to wonder why they were reserved and so down on themselves like he was, they had everything didn't they? His hands fidgeted on his knees as he sat there, his eyes scrunching at that known fact. He had a lack of understanding for those weren't like him.

"Guessing that difference lies in that?" Luckily for him though, he was pulled from these thoughts as she poked him right on his mask.

"Kind of." His shoulders finally relaxed as his focus turned to continuing this conversation with her.

"Kinda? C'mon give me the story." It was almost refreshing to have someone else his age be this… curious, she really was something else.

"It just comes from the colony I'm from. That's all." That was true, the legend of the White Fang was just some bedtime story his mom told him and one that his colony made up to make them feel more important than they actually were.

"Oh that's lazy!"

"What?" He couldn't help but be taken back by her outburst, being loud enough to probably wake up every creature in the forest.

"I expected some spooky tale, something bigger!" At this point she was using her hands to help animate her words, exaggerating how big the story behind the mask should have been. Adam could really see himself in her back when he had a similar perspective. She wasn't a child, no, she was what he couldn't be and that was someone who didn't give up on herself.

"You wanted a fairy tale?"

"Yeah, something like that." The young man didn't even notice the warm smile that had made its way to his lips, as he was finally comfortable after leaving his life behind.

"There's a smile! Maybe you are different, and maybe it's not just your mask that is the difference." By the time she ended her words she was standing, pointing her finger in his face again with another crazy level of excitement that he would never be able to match.

"Maybe so-"

"Time for sleep." The fire went out as Azula spoke out, Ty Lee disappearing to her sleeping bag faster than he could follow. Adam on the other hand chose to take his time with making his way to the blankets he brought with himself. No, this situation was not something that he was even close to happy with but there was one small light for him to hold onto. If he could even have one friend that was something that could keep him going.

To say that Adam didn't sleep well would be quite the understatement. Even after his conversation with Ty Lee he was still lying there thinking about his new life too much. Sure, a quick escape through a conversation with her was fun but that fun was long gone now. Now he, along with the other three, were walking through the forest again as they made their way to their destination which was meeting up with the Fire Nation fleet.

His own pace as they walked was faster than the others, even if only slightly which gave him some distance between the four of them. That's how he would prefer it too, so to get this over with as soon as possible. Not that any of this would be a quick process since he was likely in it for the long haul with that damned Princess. The only hope that he could have would be that she would be rid of him sooner than later.

"Adam, when we get to the shore it's best that you stay close to me. They aren't expecting you so they may think you're just some rogue criminal." Azula chirped at him, as he probably further from them than he had realized.

'Maybe they'll just kill me on the spot and this can be done with.' He thought to himself, continuing his walk at the pace he had before.

"For someone who hasn't even proven himself you sure are stubborn, you know I could just let them take you prisoner when we get back to shore if I wanted too." That time her words were enough to bring him to a stop. His jaws clenched as he wanted to bark at her for what she just said to him. He was already a prisoner in this very situation, even if she was crazy enough to see it another way.

"Well?" She pushed again, this time drawing a faint grunt from him as he continued to hold himself back. Usually he would have done cut through someone for treating him like this but he'd be dead before he really ever got the chance in this scenario. After all, he had already thought about it awhile ago.

"I..-" Adam began before getting cut off.

"Well well well, looks like we got ourselves a meal ticket." His attention was immediately brought ahead of him as he was startled, his eyes falling on two… no three figures that emerged from the shadows of the thick forest. All three, although different sizes, wore what looked like typical Earthbender clothing. The middle one seeming to have been the one who had addressed the four of them.

"We sure do, if you will just hand over anything on ya we'll be on our way." That revealed what was going on here as another one of them yapped, a group of thugs were here to take from them. Must have been looking for people to steal from or just making their way through when they stumbled upon Adam and the others. It angered him, that these punks were going to try and take from others like this. He slowly placed a hand on his sword, ready to draw it in a moment's notice.

"Listen, tough guy, we spit out warriors like you for breakfast. Swords ain't shit. So fork it over." This only angered him more as the middle one spoke again, Adam taking a stance that was lower to the ground as he was ready to strike. If these three were stupid enough to really try and steal from them they would pay the price, especially since they were Earthbenders. Enough had happened to him in the last twenty-four hours and now even more was being piled on top, ready to push him over the limit.

"Adam, we were just talking about you proving yourself. Do it." That was all he needed. As the middle thug stomped down on the ground and summoned a small boulder with his bending he had already launched his sword from his sheath, it bouncing off the dirt as the hilt slammed right into the thug's jaw. This gave him an opening as the thug was stunned so he leapt forward, rolling out of the way of another's boulder that was launched this time before sweeping at their feet with his leg.

This thug jumped back to dodge the attack but it was already too late, as Adam brought his sheath forward, now in it's gun form as he pulled the trigger. A rather unpleasant scream filling the air as flames from the gun engulfed the poor thug, who ran right into a tree before falling onto the ground. Then as Adam turned to look for the other thugs and his sword he was rocked by a boulder right in his chest as the first thug had regained his composure. Pain shot through his body as he rolled back, colliding hard with a tree as his body was brought to an abrupt stop.

The thug wouldn't stop there, launching several others as Adam ran into the thickness of the forest so to get a moment to breathe. In his anger he had lashed out and expected all of this to be easy but now here he was reeling. He had to take a moment to breathe and think of a plan. "Maybe I'll just target your friends instead, hm?" The thug shouted at him, giving the young man just what he needed.

The fool was distracted, his eyes on the "defenseless" girls that wouldn't be so defenseless if he actually attacked them. But he wasn't about to stop the idiot as he slowly moved around him to be behind him, again looking for his sword. It didn't take long either, especially with that red blade sticking out amongst the green grass like a sore thumb. As the thug again stomped his foot into the dirt his attack would be cut off again, this time literally as his head rolled and his body crashed down into the ground below.

Now there was only one left, this one being relatively quiet and still throughout all of the fighting. Then as Adam turned his attention to him, sheathing his blade the man took off in the other direction as fast and reckless as possible. He almost pitied the man too, he hadn't said a word or threatened them in anyway… but he still had to face his fate. If he couldn't have his own life thanks to the hands of Azula some simple man from the Earth Kingdom wouldn't have one either.

Shooting his sword ahead again this time he aimed for a branch that was above the running man's head, it bouncing off the wood and hitting the ground before the man who stopped suddenly. That was a poor decision, as Adam didn't stop. He had ran up from behind the entire time and as his sword bounced off the ground he leapt from a nearby tree and kicked the man in the back. The timing couldn't have been more perfect as the last remaining thug was now slightly impaled on the sword, leaning down as he gasped for life desperately.

On a good day he would have used his gun and have given this thug a quick end, but this wasn't a good day. Taking out his frustration he slowly pushed on the back of the man who was helpless to stop the blade from sinking deeper into him. It seemed like an eternity before the blade was fully through the poor thing's torso, a corpse being all that was left behind. Then with a lack of grace he kicked over the body and quickly removed the sword, blood covering the already red blade.

"Bravo, Adam. Bravo. I would have only done slightly better myself." Slow, irritable clapping could be heard as Azula and the others made their way over to him. At least she had something positive to say, as long as he did what he was told. Sighing he flicked the blood from his sword and stuck it back in it's sheath, turning to face them.

"Thank you." He muttered as Azula passed him, seeming as happy as could be about what she had witnessed. Mai had no real emotion on her face, which was to be expected. But then there was Ty Lee, who had a… fearful look on her face. That being understandable to him made him want to reach out and comfort her, to tell her she wouldn't see him be that brutal very often.

"And with that, we've arrived." However… that would have to wait as he heard the Princess shout back at him. As he caught up to her he stepped out of the forest, finally, and was now on what looked liked the top of a hill. At the bottom of that hill? A massive fleet of Fire Nation ships littered with more soldiers than he could possibly count, they had reached the shore.

_**A/N: Yeah… not gonna lie to you guys I didn't feel too hot about this chapter. But! The fight was kind of fun to write so I hope you all enjoyed that at least. The next chapter will have more information on what's ahead for our "heroes", which if you've seen ATLA you probably have an idea. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a review if you did and don't be afraid to message me if you have any questions.**_


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